Bakemono
by Ar1Es
Summary: "Four years." Saying the words lasts for a mere second. The literal is four years of absence. For Naru, four years is forever being lost in thought about leaving everyone behind, especially her. He comes back and once again, the SPR is on a case involving a dangerous haunting at a family's lake house. However, this time Mai isn't with them... Or maybe she's closer than she seems...
1. The Key

Summary: After four years in England, Naru finally decides to come back to Japan. Once again, the SPR is on a case involving a dangerous haunting at a wealthy family's lake house. However, this time Mai isn't with them... Or maybe she is closer than she seems...

AN: Heya! This is my first-ish fanfic. Hopefully I'll satisfy our obssess-I mean, love for Naru and Mai. Note that this story is mostly Naru's point of view because someone needs to tap into that brain of his. Sorry, hate to be redundant, but I do not own Ghost Hunt (if I did I would add at least a kiss in the series). Enjoy!

* * *

Bakemono

The Key

Red. The color covered the walls as well as the filthy floor. It was dappled all over her face as she stared down at her dripping hands in glee. She tilted her head back and started laughing at the scene in front of her. From the color all over the small windowless room, a person cannot even tell that the lump on the floor was the remains of a corpse.

"You are not human." A woman's voice rang out without any hesitation. Surprised, she whipped around to the source. Her soaked jet black hair slapped her face because of the sudden movement. The hazel eyed woman stood by the doorway, glaring at her. She ignored the grotesque body on the floor. If she glanced at it, her stomach wouldn't take it.

"What makes you say that?" The other woman smiled at her innocently, yet her eyes tell a different story. They were cold, calculating and predatory.

"It was you... all along." She barely contained the volume of her voice as it shook in anger. "You terrorized everyone who set foot in this house. Why?"

Still high from blood lust, she laughed some more at the question before answering. "What's more to say? You know a lot of things." The other woman's eyes widened in surprise momentarily, but she kept herself calm. The crazed woman kept talking quickly without taking a break to breathe. Her black eyes gleamed excitedly. "You know what happened in this house. You know about her. You know me. You know my secrets. You know everything." She paced around frantically, punctuating her words with her hands. "Now, stop pretending you don't!" Then, she stopped and tilted her head towards her. The woman's voice got quiet. "Because you know too much...you don't deserve to live. You don't... "

Something flickered in the psychopath's hand underneath the dim lighting. Though the younger one caught it, the other instantly lunged for her with the ferociousness of a hungry lioness leaping onto a gazelle.

The brunette woman barely grabbed the older woman's wrist just on time. The metal blade's tip was pointed five inches from her face. Cold sweat dripped down her temple.

She pushed against her and gritted her teeth. Both of their hands shook from effort. She felt her hands slip slowly from the crimson liquid on her attacker's arm.

"Don't." Her confident façade was slowly fading. Fear gripped her heart as they continued to struggle. Both couldn't get the upper hand as they twisted around the small space still with the knife between them.

"I will!" The black-haired woman kneed the other in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her. She lost her grip.

Two screams echoed throughout the room—one with agony and the other with the pure joy of making her mark.

The knife slid through the brunette's throat with a hiss. Droplets of blood rained down on her pristine white sundress. Her hand rose to her neck to stop the bleeding as she fell with a dull thud. Her fiery hazel eyes still stared up at the woman in front of her with a look of betrayal, fear and anger despite lying helpless on the ground. The growing pool of liquid stained the wooden boards underneath her.

The person wielding the knife had enough decency to wipe her face with her sleeve. She knelt in front of her and smoothed the down the girl's hair with uncharacteristic gentleness. "That's what you get for knowing too much." She whispered, slowly clenching her head with her hand. "You get to know my love for crimson..." Nails scratched her scalp painfully before she released her and stood up.

The younger one groaned below her. Her strength was slowly leaving her. The brunette muttered weakly as she reached the other hand towards the woman standing above her, but her words were lost like the blood that spilled out of her.

* * *

"_Naru...I love you_."

I squint against the sun. The unrelenting brightness warms my pale skin from behind the window. Why did I forget to close the blinds before I fell asleep? I glare at the offending sunlight as I straighten up in this uncomfortable seat. It doesn't matter that its first class. Airplane rides are never comfortable. The knot on my neck agrees with this fact.

I don't want to dwell on it, but the words still remains fresh in my mind. Her confession frequently pops up in my dreams anyway. Gene bugged me about her every time I was in the same general vicinity as a mirror, but he stopped a month ago after I found something interesting.

Though my book fell on the floor, which will probably ruin the spine, the object in my hand catches my full attention.

"Idiot." I mutter as I stare at the silver key. I have been saying that a lot lately. It would just come out of my mouth every time I thought about her. My thumb went over the notches, the smooth surface and finally the small miniscule lettering that is awfully hard to read. Without looking, I knew it had 'Taniyama' etched into the metal.

I came across this while I was cleaning out my office. I first questioned why I even have something that doesn't belong to any lock, safe or door I know. Then, I finally decided to use psychometry to figure out its identity.

_I open my eyes to see the familiar room from four years ago. It is the SPR office in Japan. I can see Lin packing the expensive equipment inside protective metal cases with little difficulty. Some of the furniture are covered by white sheets. This was the day when we were leaving for England._

_I can recall this day very well. I feel the tug in my conscience as I walk towards my office. I stop at the door._

_I see myself placing the books into a box. I remember wanting nothing more than to just leave the office, Japan and the rest of the horrid memories behind. I didn't tell anyone. They wouldn't understand. My eyes find a certain brown-haired girl in another corner of the room sitting cross-legged on the floor organizing files. After four years, it is weird seeing her again in person. I remember Mai 's face wiped clean from emotion, but the rims of her eyes are puffy and red from crying. I can still feel the tension in the room._

_It was days after she confessed that she loved me. However, it was actually Gene she loves. The pain in my chest is back again. Curse that idiot...curse this stupid emotion._

_"Are you sure you want to leave, Naru?" She says, causing my past self and I to twitch from the sudden noise._

_I see myself hesitating in the middle of rummaging through a drawer. I hear him sigh and resume searching. "If I wasn't sure, then I wouldn't have closed SPR and bought a plane ticket."_

_"Well...that's it then?"_

_"That's it then." He finishes putting the last set of books in a box. He tapes the top shut. I see myself taking the jacket from the chair and walking over to Mai._

_Mai places the files in my bag. She stands up suddenly causing something shiny to drop into a box next to her. So that's how that happened..._

_She runs into him with her arms surrounding his waist. She buried her face into his shirt. His arms remain frozen to his sides._

_"I'll miss you."_

_I simply stare at the scene in front of me. I didn't know how to comfort her. She hiccups with her frame shaking. "You're wetting my shirt you idiot." He says in annoyance. He sighs. He raises his arms and slowly wrap them around her. She felt so small then...  
_

_"Idiotic scientist! Don't you understand the fact that I love you?" Her voice was muffled under his shirt. I can still remember her clutching into the fabric._

_Mai didn't pay attention. I see myself running my fingers through her soft hair. I frown, catching my mistake. My other self realizes too. His hand is poised in mid-air a few inches from her head. He lowers it down. "Again, you fell in love with my brother, Mai. You were always attracted to that idea of me. It's from your dreams. It's not who I am." I feel bad for her since he is not among the living. I feel bad that Gene is not alive to really see her in person. My chest is throbbing._

_Her cries quiet down to a few sniffles. He gently removes her arms around him, pries every finger off his black shirt that is now drenched in tears, and gently pushes her an arm's length away so he can see her. Her amber eyes keep darting around the room. She tenses ready to run away. He tightens his grip on her shoulders, keeping her in front of him. He takes a deep breath, uncomfortable with what he has to say. "I'm sorry." I did not force this out four years ago, but this is something I really said sincerely. "I'm sorry about these circumstances."_

_Her eyes widen in response, but she does not speak._

_Then, I let go._

The emotions from the memory fade away. Is that why I have been depressed as Lin likes to tell me all this time? Is it because of all this guilt and regret that I'm feeling? I hate this. I hate this so damn much.

"Clumsy idiot." It was Mai's "lucky" charm that I found in an unopened box after four years and two months in another continent. Only she could accidentally lose the most important thing to her. I can't help but feel a slight twitch on the corner of my lips. Why didn't I just send it back to her during that time?

I have absolutely no idea why.

"Noll, we're going to land soon." Lin said next to me. He eyes the key in my hand and the book lying on the floor. Then, he rolls his eyes and mumbles lowly in Cantonese. I recognize the phrase "damn kids," considering he used to say that around Gene and I. The rest... I sigh and face the window. He knows. At least, Madoka is leaning against her husband's shoulder dead asleep or else I'll never hear the end of it.

I tap my knuckles against the armrest. The unfamiliar feeling of nervousness is annoying the hell out of me. I won't admit that to anyone though.

I stare out at the land below me. It's about time I return... so I can return that key to her in person.


	2. We Meet Again

We meet again

"Where is it?" Uneven footsteps pattered across the wooden floors of the hallway. A woman clumsily bumped into random objects from distress. Her legs felt like they were wading through water. In her eyes, everything blurred and wavered as if she was staring at a flickering flame. Time went by very slowly. "Where am I? How could this have happened?" Her voice even resonated oddly. Whipping her head around in confusion, the woman remembered that there were people living in the house but not a single person have been found. "Where is he?" She felt its presence before it appeared before her.

The shadow-like silhouette blocked her path. "You thought you could escape after death?" She didn't reply, but took several steps backwards in anticipation to run towards another direction. She didn't to want to make herself more vulnerable than she felt at the moment.

* * *

I set down the metal suitcases by my office and then inspect the place in wonder. The office didn't really change. Someone made it into a law firm after we moved out. However, about a year ago it closed down. They left the layout of the furniture the same way as before strangely enough. I draw a line across a table, expecting to feel dirt on it. However, what surprises me is the lack of dust that should have coated the furniture and window sills. I even smell the faint scent of lemon.

"Welcome back, Shibuya-san." A hoarse voice calls from behind me.

I turn to see the old man who owns this whole building. I bow. "Kazaragi-san."

He cracks a smile, causing his wrinkles to deepen around his eyes. "If you're wondering, a young lady came by every week to clean this place months after the law firm closed. She's such a dear to maintain it for me, considering my age." He pops his back with a grimace as he twists it to prove his point.

This information catches my attention. "Does she have a name?"

He rubs his chin in thought. "Sorry, I'm getting too old. She's the girl who used to work for you. I think it was Taniyama-san."

I freeze. Mai was here? I slowly take a deep breath and release it. "Did she come here yet?"

He shakes his head. "Usually she would come by, but I hadn't seen her for two weeks now. She said something about going on vacation. When she comes back, you should thank her, Shibuya-san." I didn't know what to think. He waves cheerfully and goes down the steps just as Lin approaches with a heavy stack of boxes. "Noll, Madoka is calling everyone so you don't have to worry about it."

I nod and make my way towards the nearest piece of furniture. Why would that girl do such a thing? I pull the sheet off with one sharp tug. It is the black leather couch, which looks a bit worn. She puzzles me. Did she come here because she wanted to work in the SPR again? Lin heads towards his office. Curiosity nudges me forward as I take another step towards it. I make sure he is gone before I touch the back of it with my finger to peer into its memories.

_I hear someone humming before I even see what is going on in front of me. Though I still am a head taller than her, s__he definitely grew up. Her brown hair is up in a ponytail, which reaches below her shoulders. She sweeps the floor with a soft pretty smile on her face.  
_

_"Your instincts must have told you I was coming by..." I say though Mai can't hear me. She continues to focus on her task. "...to open up the SPR." In the back of my mind, something tells me she just misses me. I ignore it. Ridiculous. She must hate me.  
_

_The tuneless humming stops. Suddenly, she looks up. Mai's eyes meet mine. I tense. The door behind me opens. "Mai-chan." Someone's voice calls out. In the corner of my eye, I see Yasuhara standing at my side. "The taxi is coming soon." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.  
_

I open my eyes. I'm going to see her soon enough after she comes back. What is her job now? Does she still have dreams about ghosts? Does she still see Gene?

"Naru-chan!" A familiar voice yells as he entered the office. I cringe at the nickname and his loud entrance.

I smirk. "I didn't invite you to have a party, monk." I say as I turn around, crossing my arms. Takigawa has a bit of a shorter hairstyle otherwise he looks the same as he did four years ago.

His eyebrows widen for a second, but his surprise fades into a grin. "Same as ever in a twenty-one year old body." He pats a hand on my shoulder hard. He looks at me straight in the eye. "The scowl on your face really suits you." This only causes me to deepen said scowl. Then, he raises his hands in surrender.

"Long time no see."Ayako pops her head from behind him. Her hand is on her hip ready for anything that comes her way. She appears to have come from work, considering she is in her doctor's coat.

"Nice to see you too."

"Wow, you are a little nicer than before." She stares at me as if I have grown two heads and then catches the monk's eyes to confirm her thoughts. Apparently everything I do today surprises people.

I snort at her half-complement, half-insult, but I stay silent. "You didn't hear him earlier then?" Takigawa snickers pointing his thumb at me.

"And I'm still your boss."

She gives me an exasperated look and turns away from me. "Kids, these days! They don't respect their elders at all!" It's really easy to ruffle her feathers like someone else I know.

"That's his way of saying, 'I miss you, guys.'" Yeah, right... The monk howls in laughter then spins to face Ayako. "Ha! You called yourself old!" She slaps his shoulder. He continues to giggle like a gossiping school girl.

"Remember who's your girlfriend, Houshou!" I raise an eyebrow. Since they are dating, hopefully they are professional about it. I hear another slap. Actually I stand corrected, there's nothing new about it.

"That doesn't mean that I can't tease you!" This causes her to whack him some more, which causes him to raise an arm to defend his head. "Abusive woman!" Again, my silence is the best way to not get slapped accidentally.

I sigh at their idiotic antics and lift the other sheets. I drone their bickering out. Though I am having a low stupid tolerance at this moment, I didn't tell them to start working though. They better appreciate it.

"Davis-san." A voice with a Kansai accent calls from the doorway.

"Hello, Brown-san."

He enters the room before smiling at the couple still arguing about age. "How was England?"

"Same as always." In other words, not enough interesting cases for me. Even though I go to cases all over England and maybe even France to make myself busy, there was absolutely no thrill.

"How about your parents? How are they?" I grimace at the thought. Father kept nagging me to get out and explore the world. No, he doesn't mean travel. He meant go out and date some girls. Those packages he "anonymously" sent me supported those implications. Stupid old man. Mother also thought along those lines, asking me about my assistant and then bugging me about how she is getting old. Then, I would have to remind both of them very carefully that I'm merely twenty-one.

"Same as always." I repeat.

The blond priest chuckles. "**Does this mean that I have to call you Oliver now**?" He says jokingly in English with his Australian accent. "**Sorry, I hadn't spoken in English for a while." **He rubs the back of his head bashfully.

"**Whatever.**" I reply tersely. I can't do small talk. "**I don't mind either way.**" I really don't unless we're in a case.

"**Well, we are all glad you came back. Things weren't really the same without you and Lin.**"

I open my mouth, however, someone beats me to it.

"Speak it in Japanese. I don't understand at all!" Monk scolds us, stopping his argument with the miko.

"It."

Though I don't like small talk, I hate being interrupted. "Did Naru-chan make a joke?" He exclaims with a loud gasp. I roll my eyes.

"John." I start as I sit down on a chair. He looks at me in surprise. "**It's mutual. Don't tell them that.**" Though my voice is flat, he smiles but he doesn't say anything else.

"Are you insulting us?" Monk is about to yell at us in irritation but then I hear a knock a the door. My fingers drum against the leather. An image of my brown-haired assistant rapping the door forces its way into my mind. However, Madoka arrives with Hara-san. I lean back relaxing my stiff muscles. I bite back my frustration. That clumsy assistant is driving me crazy even without her here. "Hello, Naru." Masako still wears a kimono, but she puts her short hair up with a clip.

"Nice to see you again, Hara-san." She nods in acknowledgement as she hides her slightly pink face with her sleeve.

"Noll, I can't reach Mai-chan or Osamu-kun." Madoka pouts disappointedly with her phone in hand. Her finger hovers over the green 'talk' button.

"Its fine." Though, I say this I'm disappointed myself. "You don't need to add anymore messages in their voice mail." I sigh and play with the loose thread on the arm rest. I need tea. No Mai equals no tea. No tea equals incoming headache. Just as I suspected, I can feel a headache coming in. I rub the bridge of my nose in annoyance. "The owner knows Mai and told me that she went on vacation." I hate this.

I see the rest of them filling the couches. My eyes wander towards the door again before directing my gaze to my currently present coworkers. "Poor Naru. He must have come back because he wanted to see my beautiful sis so ba-" The doctor elbows the monk. He opens his mouth again. I glare at him, daring him to finish that sentence. I can feel the room's temperature going down a few degrees. He visibly shivers before continuing. "Mai forgot her cell phone in her apartment probably. I wish she could at least call me during her vacation though."

"Who's fault was it that she's not talking to you, huh?" Ayako responds with another elbow to his rib. "You just had to treat her like she is still a little girl. I would go off and vacation too if you do that to me." It is definitely like her to storm off with that temper of hers.

"Ow! Woman!" Takigawa yells. Then, he completely changes the subject. His demeanor changes. He clears his throat. "Ne, Naru." He starts awkwardly. Out with it! "Why didn't you ever contact us when you were in England?" The question hushes everyone's individual conversations.

Everyone's eyes point at me. I mentally wince. The lamp on the table opposite me is definitely more interesting than where this conversation is going. "Many things happened..." Yes, many things indeed, which involves dealing with my twin's death. I cross my arms and look away from their stares. "As your boss, that was uncalled for on my part..." Hopefully, they can fill in the blanks because this is getting very uncomfortable.

They still stay silent until the monk breaks the silence. "Well, close enough."

"What do you mean 'close enough?'"

"Close enough of an apology. Some of us are still mad though we kind of forgive you."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"We get it. You still care. You still send us our paychecks. Deny it all you want, Naru-chan." He emphasizes the last part to annoy me or at least get a reaction from me. The others had smug smiles on their faces. He said all that needed to be said.

I didn't comment. His observant eye is a curse as well as a blessing.

"Jou-chan still wants to kill you. She once told me that "it doesn't hurt to actually have his pen touch a piece of paper to write a letter or call us at weird hours because of his vampire-like sleep cycle and the time difference."" They all crack up at the sound of his voice imitating Mai's voice. I glare at him, causing him to frown. "It's true its her exact words."

"Where does she work anyway?"

The monk laughs for some odd reason. "She is a college student. She works part-time in a tea shop. Then, in our free time John, Mai and I would go ghost hunting for old times sake." Very interesting.

"What about Yasuhara? Anyone?" Yasuhara is known to always answer our calls before without fail. That's strange...

As everyone shakes their head, Lin arrives with a file. "I received it in an email." He hands it to me. I open it. Already a request? I scan through it.

_Shibuya-san,_

_Our family home is haunted. I fear for all of us because it became violent. It started with rapping noises, unexplained footsteps and stuff going missing, but then we would hear a woman screaming at night. Furniture is now getting tipped over by an unknown force. My daughter, Chizu, told me that she saw the spirit of a woman running through the hallways. Please, reply as soon as possible. I'm at my Wit's end._

_Megumi Kaname_

"Are you guys still up for working?" I look up from the letter and spot each person's sign of agreement. I'll need to call Kaname-san back then. "We may have to start tomorrow. We'll have to make do without them."

* * *

AN: Aw, he can never get a break, can he? Naru is such a challenge to write in a good way. Hopefully, he is not too marshmellow-y. As for the client's name, Kaname is the first name that popped out of my head. Sorry, no Vampire Knight here.


	3. Underneath the Flickering Lights

Underneath the Flickering Lights

_Someone was splayed out on a large square of tarp on the ground. It crackled as he moved his heavy arm._ He gingerly touched the back of his head and groaned. "What the hell happened to me?" Everything around him looked gray. The only source of light in this windowless room is the dim, flickering light from the open door.

_The man refused to move from his position though there was an exit to escape from. His head ached. His body ached. His heart ached. Everything ached. He hoped that his wife and daughter are okay..._

He blinked. This was not how he really felt right now. First of all, he was not lying on a piece of tarp. At the moment, the black-haired man was lying on a moth-eaten cot with a lumpy sack of a pillow with brown stains that he didn't want to know where they originated from. Secondly, he never recognized the people that he thought about. He didn't have a wife let alone a girlfriend. 'Sadly.' The man thought. Lastly, there were rusted metal bars, which kept him from leaving through the open door.

The door mocked him. Its wide open so that he can vaguely see the long stretch of the dim hallway if he turned his head. He gave up calling for help. There was no one. He gave up trying to pry the bars apart with one of the metal legs of the cot. The bars still stood strong. "So this is what jail feels like?" His voice sounded raspy, but it was a sound nevertheless. The man habitually reached for his nose only to find air. He cursed. He could hardly see in this place. 'Great.' The man shifted his position and winced. He saw stars.

_He lied there on that same piece of noisy material. Guttural laughter spilled from him, ignoring the metallic liquid trying to choke him. He turned his head and all he saw was his blood contrasting against the pallor of his skin._

It flickered away in a span of a second. His head was still sore. He must be getting delirious. "I didn't know I am this morbid." He says breathlessly, trying to be cheerful so he doesn't fall into the hole his head created. His memories became blurred and blended together with other images. He had no idea what was going on with him. For the first time, he felt fear for the unknown."How long was I here?" Talking to himself felt a little comforting. He had to stay strong. "I hope she's okay."

A shadow blocked the light from entering the room. Someone stood by the doorway. Thinking could wait. He had company.

* * *

From what I gathered from the drive here, the family lives in a very isolated area with no neighbors with the nearest town thirty minutes away. The house stands before us. It's a mansion, which is no surprise when I researched some general information about the wealthy Kaname family. They own a couple of hospitals and other businesses around the area. Why they have to live far away from them, I have no clue.

However, the house itself is very modern. The two-story building appears to be entirely made of glass. It stands on a rocky cliff, which overlooks the eerily calm lake eight feet below, so there are some steps to climb. Trees surround the lake like a barrier blocking us from the rest of the world.

At first glance, it doesn't follow the pattern that I'm used to. Most of the places I went to were old buildings with a violent history.

"This mansion doesn't seem like the type to have ghosts." Ayako speaks next to me, voicing out my thoughts. "It might be a site-bound spirit."

"You're just saying that because you don't know what else to think. Aren't you contradicting yourself?" The monk teases as he hands her luggage. She accepts her bags and mock hits him.

I rub my chin. "I'll consider it." Its possible.

"Huh?" Takigawa whips his head towards me as if he hadn't heard me right. The miko laughs mockingly, feeling accomplished.

"The house...Maybe not. The area...It might be." I sigh. "That's why we're investigating. Looks can be deceiving..." I definitely won't draw conclusions just by a glancing at the house. My train of thought stops when I see the clients approaching.

"Welcome. You are here early." A woman with black mid-length hair greets us, following a stern man in a suit who I assume is her husband. "Which one of you is Shibuya-san?" The man asks gruffly. I don't think contacting us was his idea.

I take a step forward. "I am. I'm Kazuya Shibuya." I extend my hand for him to shake. He eyes me skeptically, but accepts it anyway. My eye contact didn't falter.

"No kidding." He comments. He sees my confusion so he continues. "You know how to make firm handshake. You also mean business." Also? Someone else came here before us. He probably thinks that we're con artists who will cause more trouble for the household. It's not the first time that someone thought that. "We tried to have another group get rid of this problem, but I think they ran off. It must have been over their heads." It will be an interesting case.

"If you don't know me, my name is Jiro Kaname." He gestures the client. "This is my wife, Megumi."

"More introductions later." Megumi says to her husband before looking at everyone else. "Come in. They need to get situated."

I pick up one of the suitcases. All of us then filed the steps each with something in hand. Masako walks at the rear with her sleeve in front of her face. I slow down my steps.

"Are you getting something, Hara-san?"

The girl ponders for a bit as we make the last few steps. "I don't feel any malicious intent from the house. However, there are spirits, but their presence disappear and reappear. It makes it hard to read them."

We entered the foyer, which had a fairly large chandelier above us. The marble tiles are so shiny, the miko had to look down and lightly place her feet on the floor. Maybe she is scared to make it dirty. It is a very open area, which leads to the living room. There are also other corridors at both the left and right side. In front of me there are stairs that lead up to the second floor. However, what gets me is the amount of mirrors and pictures lining the walls in the foyer. I stare at one of the metal surfaces with my own face scrutinizing me.

"This is bad!" The monk exclaims behind me.

"What?"

"Mirrors! Naru won't resist the urge to stop and stare at himself." Yes, because I'm that _much_ of a narcissist.

Ayako elbows him. "Don't say that in front of him. He will deduct your pay." That I can...

He scoffs. "He won't seriously do that."

"..."

"Sorry, I'll get to work now."

A butler who looked like he seldom smiled appears at our side. "Ren, can you show them to their rooms?"

* * *

The woman sat in the hallway curled up in a ball. Everything was swirling around her and it was disorienting her. She couldn't find the way out. The woman barely escaped from the shadow. Her neck was burning really badly. It was like someone dumped acid on her wound, which refused to go away.

There was a disturbance in the water-like world she's in. It rippled throughout the air and through the walls. She felt it in her chest similar to a heartbeat.

The sound of footsteps made its way to her ears. The brunette's head jumped up in shock. A breeze caused her hair to flutter. There were different clouds of mist that were moving past her. However what got her attention was the vivid aura that had shape. It was the vague figure of a person walking passed her. It wasn't a shadow, but it glowed a bright blue. It felt comforting. She wanted this comfort. "Wait!"

She had no idea what this phenomena was, but she wanted to stop this aura from leaving her. The young woman reached for the person. It wavered as soon as she touched it. Static shocked her for a second. It stung. Maybe it was just something to watch from afar. "No." She was relentless. The energy wrapped around her arm. It didn't hurt anymore instead it felt pleasantly warm to the touch.

She was met with the sight of a person's back suddenly. However, his image disappeared as soon as he appeared, but she knew he was wearing all black. He also had black hair. Then, her hand shot back. "No."

Three white demon foxes growled from behind her. They float in the air yet they surrounded another aura, which didn't glow or have shape like the one in front of her but it had a little more color than the rest. One fox snapped its jaws at her. She backed away in fear and ran.

* * *

I turn my head to the person behind me. "What now, Lin?"

He doesn't say anything, but he has a look of confusion. "Didn't you tap my shoulder just now?"

"No." Then, Lin appears to be listening to something. "My shiki saw a spirit, but they scared it off."

"I see." It must be watching us.

Masako is wobbling in her steps ahead of me. However, John catches her before she fell. "Hara-san."

"Are you alright?" John asks. He pulls her sleeve down from her face. She is paler than usual.

"Everything is so distorted. I feel spirits, but I can't really see something." Ayako steadies her other side. "Its like I'm seeing through frosted glass. Its making me motion sick."

"You can rest when we go to the base."

"I'm sorry. Every time we go to a case, I always end up getting sick." She doesn't need to apologize. It happened to Gene sometimes in especially terrible hauntings.

We arrive at the room. The house does not need lights during the day because of the windows. The base is in one of the guest rooms in the second floor. "Natsu, Misa and Kenji are coming home from school soon. So you'll have to wait a bit." Ren announces.

We discuss our rooming arrangements. Lin and Madoka are rooming together in one room while John, Takigawa and I are sharing another one next to it. Ayako and Masako get the one across from us. Then, the butler leaves.

"Ne, Naru, you know... I have needs and-"

"Nope." I interrupt just as Ayako hits Takigawa with a clipboard with her face as red as her hair. "He does not need to know that." This is awkward.

"We are limited in rooms." I merely say washing my hands off this subject.

We are going to introduce ourselves to the rest of the family and then I will set them to work. Lin is already checking the sound equipment. Everyone are at various places in the room, talking amongst themselves. I sort through my notes. Ten pages. This might take twenty minutes to read through. "Mai, tea." I fail to hear the amusing sound of protest. Right... Shit. Why does my mouth have to have a mind of its own? It gets silent. Shit. Shit. Shit.

They all stare at me with a certain brown-haired man snickering in the background. Masako has a sleeve covering her mouth, but her eyes show her surprise. Ayako wears a sly expression on her face. John's mouth is gaping in mid-sentence. Madoka blinks a few times. Lin didn't even respond and continues to type.

"What?" Their stares are annoying the hell out of me.

"You miss her." Someone teases.

"It's okay." Madoka giggles. "It happens to the best of us." I picture flowers surrounding her with her appearance of innocence, but I know that coy smile my mentor has. She has some more blackmail on me.

I give them a look and then I continue to sort through the papers on the desk. I nearly rip one of the corners, but I stay quiet. I try to fight the scowl that is trying to form on my face. They are not getting to me. They are not getting to me... Why the hell is she on vacation? What if she doesn't want to be in the SPR because of me? Hopefully, she comes back. I need her tea-making skills. Oh, hell, even her presence is fine! Why does she put me in this position?!

I hardly read a sentence on the first page. My thoughts darken.

"It's getting a bit chilly, Noll." Madoka jabs at me. I growl.

There is a knock at the door and Ren opens the door. "Everyone is here now."

* * *

We all ended up sitting in front of a long table with dinner. I take a sip of green tea. Better, I can tolerate this. "This is my daughter, Misa." Megumi indicates the seven year old girl, who sits across from me and keeps glancing at me every time she thinks I am not looking. I raise an eyebrow and then she blushes. Megumi ruffles the boy's hair next to her. "This is my son Kenji." The ten year old boy scowls a bit at this gesture. "The last one is Natsu, my nephew." He grunts in response, but keeps picking on his carrots. Otherwise, he is very uninterested. The boy looks like he is about thirteen. "Then, that's his mother and my sister, Emiko." She gestures to the end of the table where a woman who had her hair tied in a bun sits. They really look similar in appearance with their black hair and gray eyes, but its the only thing I see in common.

"Nice to meet you." She gives us a small smile. "Sorry my husband isn't here to meet you personally. He had some business to attend to."

I didn't say anything, considering the rest of the SPR is greeting them. Lin looks fidgety to my left. He still wants to go on his laptop.

"We'll we need to start interviewing all of you after dinner-"

The light flickers and dims. Since the curtains are drawn, the room darkens.

"Oh, don't mind it. There is something wrong with the wiring."

They keep coming on and off intermittently. Everyone stops eating and scan around. "Doubt it." Someone comments. Even the boy, Natsu, shoots up in his chair alert. Its cold. My breaths are coming out as mist. The candles in the middle of the table dance then blow out. A light wind flutters around the room.

Then, the lights turn off completely. Misa starts to whimper. I can hear everyone's ragged breathing and Megumi's whispers of comfort for the girl. Something falls on the floor and rolls on the wooden floor. Then, it turns back on.

On the wall facing me is the black dripping word—**monster**—that was wiped on the surface hastily with various hand prints.

"Cool." Kenji murmurs in awe before some of the girls start to scream.

* * *

AN: Yeah a cliffie. Did you wait long? I have a summer college (torture) class, which will end next week. Yay for me... and you. Naru is having a withdrawal apparently so he'll be in this mood for a lil' while. What of Yasu and Mai? *Shrugs* I don't know. Hold your horses, peeps. There are more excitement to come.


	4. So Close, yet So Far

So Close, yet So Far

Ayako comforted Misa and her mother after the lights went back on. Kenji then decided to do karate poses as if he can fend off any creature that he encounters until his father chuckled nervously and told him to get down from the table.

I shake my head at the boy's antics, yet it gives me a vague reminder of Gene. "_Don't worry, mom! I'll save you from the ghosts!_" Mostly for me, when he says something that starts with "Noll, watch this," that's my cue that I would soon have to save his hide. Why do I feel nostalgic all of a sudden?

"It came from this ink bottle." John interrupts my thoughts as he raises the glass. It was probably the object that fell on the floor when the lights were off. Damn, we should have set up the cameras earlier. However, the owner insisted that we needed to eat first. I take the glass bottle.

I inspect the still wet ink on the wall. The hand that this work of "art" belongs to is probably a man's because the hand prints left behind seems too big to be a woman's.

My hand tightens around the glass. I drone out everyone else around me. In my mind's eye, images flutter underneath my eyelids too fast to make sense of them. A chilling sensation settles over me. This person is definitely a spirit. However, this feeling of panic is bubbling beneath my chest. One image stands out. My head turns to see the vague shape of a woman in the dark. I feel saddened about it. However, I keep doing my task. I feel my blackened hand swiping the wall, scraping my finger nails against the plaster painfully. I didn't care. It's here. It will get me again.

I feel my body being tugged in another direction and forcibly separated from his thoughts. I snap back into my own body. I exhale.

I open my eyes. My heart thunders in my chest as if I ran a couple laps around the house. All of this happened for the span of a few seconds. No one noticed.

There is one male spirit accounted for. For now...

"John, you go with Hara-san to take a sweep across the place. Masako." This catches her attention, since I never called her by her first name. "Go back to the base if you feel too sick to continue." Both of them nod in agreement. This case may get dangerous if the ghost already gave us a warning in the first two hours of coming here.

"Monk, Miko, you two will go and set up the cameras." Said monk does a mock salute. "Don't fool around. It'll be nightfall soon."

"Like we will." Ayako grumbles in response.

"Lin, the usual." He merely grunts. He lets go of Madoka's waist reluctantly. She smiles up at him and gives him a peck on the cheek. I gag mentally. They all scatter and I am left with my mentor.

"What job do I have?"

"We'll interview the family and then we'll research accordingly." I would have paired her off with Yasuhara since they are efficient at research, however, he's not here. "Did you call Yasuhara-san again?" Knowing her, she probably called him seven times today. Sometimes, I wonder how Lin keeps up with her.

Madoka sighs. "I'm afraid he still isn't answering. I'm tempted to have the police check up on him."

"He might have just changed his number."

"Well, I'd rather have him than my grumpy student." She pouts. "Plus, you sent my cute husband away from me."

I roll my eyes. "A woman your age shouldn't pout." She sticks out her tongue.

"We need to get this done at a reasonable hour." It's already seven, so depending on how long each story is, it may take about two hours or more. It's not including the butler, a few maids, the gardener, the chef and a few others who work here, which we'll probably have to do tomorrow.

"Paranormal guy." A boy's voice calls. We turn to see Natsu, standing in front of us with his arms crossed. "The ghost will kill all of you." Madoka turns at me with a surprised look on her face.

"Natsu!" Megumi scolds from across the room.

The thirteen year old leers at us. "Understand me?! You'll just end up like Reina and the other people. Scared, alone and maybe even dead." I see his fists shaking in his sides.

"Natsu!"

"Crystal clear_._" I smirk, letting my tone tell him how annoyed I am. "Why do you say that?" I study his features. He winces, but then turns away from my gaze.

"You just might! You should stay away from here if I were you." His mother doesn't say anything, but places a hand on his shoulder. The boy regards her for a few seconds before shrugging it off angrily. "You know as well as I do, mother." Some gasp at his attitude. Then, like a storm, he stomps off.

* * *

We moved to the living room after that happened. Jiro went after Natsu to make sure he's okay while Emiko stayed in the living room with us without a word. She didn't even went after her son.

The rest of the children were led back to their rooms by a maid after Ayako handed her charms to place around their rooms.

"Natsu wasn't normally this rude. He was very shy and reserved actually. Now, he's angry at everything. It's just that his sister, Reina, died a month ago. Afterwards, the family isn't the same. They drifted apart." Megumi watches her sister in a distance. Emiko sits next to the window with a blank look on her face. She doesn't even shift or even move for that matter. "Her husband is barely home. I can't believe he leaves her without any contacting her. He didn't come back for about two weeks."

Megumi wipes a tear from the corner of her eye. "Poor Reina fell down in a ravine in the forest when she went outside to play. Natsu saw it happen right in front of him. It was too late by the time we got there. He blamed himself ever since."

Madoka scribbles on her notepad. "Did the occurrences happen after that?"

"No, it happened before, but it got worse and worse after that."

"Did anybody live here before you?"

"Not that I know of. We bought this plot of land from a real estate company. We actually had this house especially built for us." Either the land is haunted or something else brought about the haunting.

"Is there anything more than what you described in the email?"

"Some of our maids quit because they kept seeing someone in the hallways. They also say that the furniture falls over in succession without an explanation. We heard men yelling outside twice. However, when Ren looked outside. There was no one there, though we could still hear it. We started to hear woman scream and run through the halls after the ghost hunters left. We would also hear someone banging the doors. Then, yesterday I thought I saw a puddle of blood appearing out of no where in our bedroom. As soon as I ran off and came back after finding my husband, it disappeared without a trace."

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I signal Madoka to continue and stand up and walk out of the room.

"Noll." Lin breathes. "Hara-san fainted. John's taking her back to the base."

"I'll be there."

"Are you sure you can come back by yourself?"

Annoyance seeps into my voice. "Do you always forget that I'm not that vulnerable?"

"Fine." Lin always put the guard in front of guardian. Gosh. "Be careful." Click.

I open the door and gesture towards the doorway. She doesn't look up from writing in her notepad, but she shoos me away with her hand.

* * *

After seeing those auras, she wonders what spirits see when they see her. Was she some beacon in the darkness, who attracts danger to her like flies?

Things are still blurry, but her vision cleared some. She stomps down the foreboding feeling in her stomach. The pain in her neck is never relenting, but somehow she is learning to ignore it.

She can't help but follow him in a distance as he gaits through the halls. The glowing blue aura flickers now and then to reveal a transparent image of him. Energy swirls around him like a flame. She didn't know why it happened, but it was probably because she touched him earlier. She hides behind every pillar and corner until she curses at her stupidity. "Given the situation you're in, this is beyond ridiculous!" She exclaims as she steps away from her latest hiding place.

In his presence she felt safe, yet it pains her that he doesn't even know she's there. Still, hope trickles her heart.

She is thankful she sees him after some time even though she sees him intermittently like a flickering light. His attire didn't even change much (or any at all). His black hair brushes against his haughty yet observant indigo eyes, which look through people as well as everything around him as always. She didn't know that its possible for Naru to get even more good-looking. She'll never say that to his face though.

She didn't know why she never tried saying something.

She needs to talk to him. He has to hear her.

"Can you hear me?" No response. "Naru!" He keeps walking. Her smile falters. "Please..." Fear and pain clench her chest. Tears prick her eyes."Naru, you jerk!" She wants to yell for everyone to hear, however, there are people she didn't want to even see. She reaches out again to pull on his jacket. Again, static jumps from his body to her hand. She recoils this time. It was more painful that she cannot even hold her hand there like before. Instead of warmth, it burned. It _electrocuted_ her. "Jerk." She cries, cradling her hand to her chest. Mai stands there in the middle of the hallway, watching him walk away.

* * *

It is really annoying me that there is a lack of information we can go by. If Mai is here, then her dreams would guide us somewhat in the right direction. This thought is making me want to bang my head on the wall.

No, we don't need her. I can do this without feeling these stupid emotions in my stupid heart every time my stupid head thinks about her. I solved cases in England without her. I can do it again with the rest of the SPR. What makes this case any different? It's only the beginning, so why the hell am I feeling like this?

Windows line up at my left side while the other side holds a lot paintings and different doors, which all look the same. The sun is no longer in the sky so there is nothing really illuminating the halls. A camera blinks all the way at the end of it. The miko and the monk made it here already. However, no one is in the hallway. It is so quiet that my thoughts sound really loud. My skin tingles in anticipation. I feel like I'm being watched. Is there a ghost here?

Rather than being bottled into my body like it should, I can feel _it_ leak out. It's happens at the weirdest times like now of all places. Should I ask Lin about it? Is it because I never _really_ used my PK since Gene died? Or is it something else?

"_Jerk_." Her voice floats in my mind. I nearly stumble, but I speed up. Why does Mai always have to haunt my thoughts? Does my mind want to torture me because it wants to fill in the silence?

I make it to base and see Masako, sitting up from the couch, with Ayako checking up on her. John sits in the arm chair, looking at her with worry. Takigawa paces around the room. Lin stares at the screens solemnly. No one looks up to greet me.

"What happened?"

Masako stares up at me with a haunted expression. "We were in the west wing of the house. Everything is fuzzy that it look like there is smoke in the air. Then I saw a man. I cannot make out his features or figure out what he is saying. However, I remember the smell of burning flesh emanating from him. I blacked out after because of that horrible smell." She appears to want to throw up from the memory, yet she did not make a move to place her sleeve in front of her face.

Was there a fire that happened here? "Do you feel anything else here?

"Yes, but they are very faint. Something seems to be messing with my senses so it is hard to detect them."

"I see." I rub my chin. What or who is powerful enough to confuse a medium? Could it be the ghost she saw? Is that ghost the same one who tried to scare us in the dining room? I just need more information.

"Lin." I sigh, looking at the man. I want to talk about whatever happened in the hallway. However, the group is here. It's not something that they should listen to. "You can help Madoka interview the rest of the family."

He scrutinizes me for a second. Lin never takes breaks and only an hour passed since he started watching the monitors. Also, I don't do "nice" and he knows it. Then, he removes his earphones and gets up. At least, he didn't ask about it.

I grab the cardboard box from the floor and open the top. It is from the local town library about the history of this place as well as the families who live here. I take a stack of books for me before sitting in Lin's chair. It doesn't mean I'll go soft though. "To those of you not busy, start looking into this box and write down anything interesting." They groan before taking some books out of the box as well.

Does Lin ever appreciate the motion sensors that alerts us when something is there? I place the earphones in my head then I flip to the first page of the book. Next thing I know, I close the book shut then I flip through the next book and the next and the next. Occasionally, I have to look up when someone passes through in front of a camera. Then, I would go back to work.

Most of the books and newspaper clippings don't have much to note in the past few decades. The books have everything that happened in this area. Things happening in the town are not relevant to this place, which is miles away. There were legends, like the one about a storm cloud monster (which is utterly ridiculous), reports of a few missing children, a story about a police officer who disappeared, random articles about flu outbreak or the price of wood going down, or talks about low crime rates in the area. Of all that, what caught my attention was a brief excerpt about a millionaire who lived here before his house was burnt down. That is one thing that can be related to the scent of burning flesh as Masako described, but is it connected to the ghost?

Someone taps my shoulder. I turn to see Lin. I take off the headphones. Behind him, Ayako is passed out on the table, Takigawa is cursing and ruffling his hair in frustration, John is scribbling on his piece of paper furiously, and Masako flips a page in her book without any thought. I looked at the clock on the wall. It's 12:10 AM. I stand up and give Lin back his chair.

Lin hands me a stack of printed notes before he sits down. "We went ahead and interviewed the butler and some maids also. I had to compile them with what Madoka got from them."

"This will be enough for today." I tell the SPR before some of them pass out on me or maybe throw a chair at a wall.

Takigawa stretches lazily before poking Ayako's head. "Wake up."

She glares at him after a couple of pokes. John stops writing and wipes his brow. Everyone starts leaving the room except Madoka and Lin. I look at the notes that they left on the table. I scan through John's notes. Again, the millionaire is mentioned.

He found it from a newspaper article from about fifty years ago. His name is Ryuu Imamura. His house was burned down in the same spot as this house actually. No one knew about it until someone visited two days after since he lived in a very isolated place. They ruled that it was an accident since the source came from a candle holder in the first floor. Some people were skeptical. They suspect that someone burned down the house since the police couldn't find his body. There was also the possibility that he escaped.

"Well, I'm going to bed!" Madoka says cheerfully, not looking tired at all. "Nighty night, boys!" She kisses Lin in the lips then walks out of the room. She is awfully upbeat for someone going to bed...

"What were you going to say earlier?" Lin asks all of a sudden. Sometimes, I wonder if anything escapes the man.

Should I tell him? I might as well. "Some of my PK is leaking out." It still is...

Lin turns around in shock. "Are you okay?"

Am I really okay? I don't really feel tired. "Should you even ask?"

His shock fades away as if he knew why. This is not what I expected. He should have been panicking. He should have start coming up with some ideas on how to keep it at bay. Then he would yell at me and start speed dialing my parents. "How did you feel when that happened?"

All over the place. "Fine as always..." I say.

"Right, Noll. You feel fine." Sarcasm dripping out of his voice. When Lin is sarcastic, he has something that I don't. I scowl at him. "What do you think is going on?"

"My powers grew."

"Yes, that's true since four years ago." He smirks. He is debating on whether he wants to tell me or not. He needs to tell me.

I want to pry that smug look off his face. "Out with it Lin!" Sparks jumps out of me once I yelled. Did that just happened? No, I was always in control of this.

He notices and his mouth goes in a fine line. "You are more stressed than usual. You aren't usually this snappy unless..."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming in. "It's my emotions." They are going haywire and I'm not even aware of it. I can't believe I didn't realize it before and I'm a professor.

"Is it because a certain assistant?" Yes.

"No."

"You are lying." He must have telepathy. He opens his mouth but closes it. "Could you possibly think that you miss her? Or fell _in love_ with her?" Lin says this really slowly like he is explaining this to a child. Why the hell did I even talk to him about this?

I fell for that idiotic, infuriating, reckless, kind, beautiful girl? I'm in love with her? In the back of my mind, I believe that its true. However, she doesn't really love me back, does she?

"How did we go from talking about what is happening to my PK to talking about loving my assistant?" I change the subject because this is really too much to even handle...Wait... did I just say what I think I said? Someone put me out of my misery.

Lin grins, but then clears his throat after I glare at him. I won't say anything more. I can't even trust my own damn mouth. "I'm starting to think its okay to release some of your energy. However, the problem is you can't use it effectively since..."

"I know." It's nothing new. It's hard to forget that I can die if I use its full potential. "Gene's not here to help me."

"After this case, we will look into it. Bear with it. For right now, try not to stress out over it. She'll be there when you get back. Get some sleep." This thing called "love" is the most idiotic thing I've every heard of. It's not that uplifting, heavenly attraction someone feels for someone else that people describe. It's worry about the other until your nerves are shot, think about the other though you feel like crap and feel for them until you hurt. If that's what it is, it's definitely idiotic.

I don't need it.

I stand up. After I go to bed and wake up, everything will be back to normal. I can focus on the case and get it done as quickly as possible. Then, I can possibly see Mai and demand where she disappeared off to. She'll probably yell at me. Then, I keep acting as if I never had her in my mind like a broken record. Yeah, that can possibly work.

I walk out of the room without another word. I didn't stay to argue anymore with Lin, who is again muttering "stubborn child" at me. I don't need him telling me about this. I don't need Mai in my thoughts.

I head towards the room. When I am right in front of the door, ready to turn the knob, I hear a little girl crying. Before I even start to look around, someone tackled my waist. I look down to see Misa, who is already soaking my shirt with her tears. I place her an arm lengths away and bend down to her level. "What's wrong?"

She wipes her tears with her sleeve and keeps her arm there so I couldn't see her eyes in embarrassment. "I had a nightmare, S-shibuya-san..." Misa continues to sob at the memory.

I sigh. I would ask her what the nightmare is about, but she needs to calm down first. How am I going to stop her from crying? Think! Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. I'm definitely going to regret this. I search my coat pocket for a coin. However, instead I find a certain metal key. I can't believe that I forgot about the key in my coat. Oh, well, its perfect for what I'm going to do.

"See this?" I show the girl the key, who peeks from her arm curiously. "This is a magic key."

"There is no such t-thing as magic." She sniffs. This girl... She is in a haunted house, but doesn't believe in magic? What's wrong with this kid?

"Are you sure about that?" She shakes her head. It disappears from my fingers and into my sleeve. "You hurt its feelings."

"Hey!" She says to the key, but then she clears her throat and turns away stubbornly. Her sobs are nearly forgotten. "Isn't it in your sleeve?" Her eyes are discreetly trying to look for it on my arm.

I smirk, ignoring what she says. I take my right hand and show her my sleeve. "It's over here." It peeks out from the inside of my blazer. It shakes a little. Her eyes widen hysterically, which reminds me of Mai when I showed her my trick.

"H-how?"

It goes back into my jacket. "I think you're a little too loud. You scared it away."

She gasps and looks into my jacket, but I know it's not there. I chuckle. Then, I poke her ear and I show her the key is back in the palm of my hand. Though, her eyes are a little red rimmed and puffy, she completely stopped crying. "Wow. Can I keep it?"

"Nope, this from a friend of mine." I place it back in my pocket. Hopefully, I'm not going to faint right there in the hallway. I strangely feel fine.

I stand back up. "Come on. I need to take you back to your room." She nods shyly and points at the end of the hall.

I start walking. "Now, Misa. Can you tell me what your nightmare is?"

Thankfully, she doesn't start crying again. "I was in the forest, you see. I dreamed about a man. I think he's a man, but he looks more like a monster. His face was wrapped up with bandages, so he looked like a mummy. I couldn't see his eyes at all. He had blood dripping down his neck. His mouth had sharp teeth and claws for nails." She feels the need to act it out with her hands. Misa spoke really fast so I had to really pay attention. "He kept reaching out to me. I can't even hear what he's saying because his voice is too croaky." Croaky? "So I ran away from him."

"And?"

"I don't know. I remember falling back into my bed, so I started running out of my room and I saw you."

We reach the front of the door. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?"

"I think so. It's just a bad dream. It's not scary when I talk about it." She smiles up at me. "You look mean, when I met you, Shibuya-san, but you are actually soooo nice like Mai-chan." This surprises me.

"Who's Mai-chan?"

"Oh, someone who Mommy and Daddy invited. There is also this other person, but I forgot his name. Anyways, she's my friend. I didn't see her lately." She pouts. "She left without saying goodbye."

I shake my head. She is not talking about the same Mai. She yawns. "Goodnight, Shibuya-san." "Goodnight." The door closes.

"I'm so confused." I take out the key from my coat pocket as I go back to the room. It seems to stare at me from underneath the lights.

"Everywhere I go, I always hear your name." I say as if she is right there in front of me. "You have to leave me alone."

I shove it back in my pocket.

* * *

AN: Sorry, I took a while guys (its only a week). There are things I need to address. One, I decided to change the tenses of the third POV, sooo yeah... Two, Naru has suddenly contracted lovesickness. Oh boy. To seiyuurabu, yeah I know. Hold that thought because there is a reason for it. To 2takuya, yup, I suck at keeping it hush-hush, but I like the suspense.

(Sentimental moment "on")

Anyways, thank you for the comments, story alerts, favorites and for reading. I would give you all hugs, but that would be very awkward if someone sees me hugging my computer screen.

(moment "off")

Muhaha, now what will happen next to Naru?


	5. Reflections

Reflections

Normally, rooming with other people, with the exception of Lin, is something that I avoid, but in this situation I can't. Both Takigawa and John are already knocked out. At least, the monk decided to sleep on the couch. I cannot help but feel glad that there are no fights over sleeping arrangements.

As soon as I take a step in the room, dots swim through my vision. A dizziness spell suddenly hits me as I shrug off my jacket. Is it because I did my little trick? Probably. That girl would never stop crying and go back to sleep if I didn't.

After changing and struggling to put the buttons in the right holes, I drop down to the bed with my arms sprawled out on either side of me. I didn't even want to move as I stare at the ceiling. If only I can use my PK normally, then none of this could have happened.

"I'm fine." I ignore the fear in the back of my mind, trying to convince myself that I'm only tired. I inhale through my nose and exhale out my mouth. I try to keep myself from hyperventilating or not breathing at all. "It won't require me to go to the hospital." In. Out. In. "It's nothing life-threatening..." My eyelids close. "...but the aftereffects are late..." In... Out... I let my consciousness slip away from me...

Everywhere I look there is nothing but the color black, yet when I look down my hands, they are illuminated by an unknown source of light. Did something happen to me? I wrack my brain for answers. I fell asleep. Hopefully, it's just sleep not _eternal_ sleep.

Where is this place? I wander through the darkness until I see a large, intricate wooden frame. Someone stands behind it. His clothes are blending with the darkness. It is a mirror. My features look a lot younger than I'm used to. However, I have a feeling that it isn't me. I wave a hand, which confirms my thoughts. The reflection didn't move. Suddenly, he gives a smile. "Gene." I come closer, touching the smooth surface.

My brother gives me a bigger grin that lights up his whole face, reminding me of something. I remember Gene telling me goodbye before his flight to Japan. No, it can't be...

Expecting to see my black clothes, I nearly jump from seeing my button-up shirt, which is what used to be my favorite color, blue. The mirror vanishes. I turn to look at my surroundings. The airport... People are murmuring and moving around us as they part from their loved ones, rush to their terminal and talk on their phones. Gene is wearing a hoodie and jeans along with a big grin on his face. His suitcase is next to him and his ticket is in his hand.

"I'll call you when I arrive, 'kay? I'll let you know about everything that we missed after I finish up the cases." He pauses probably contemplating the places he'll visit in his head. It's his first time going out of the country by himself.

"Don't have too much fun." I find myself saying. "Father is expecting a report on Shinto-styled exorcisms, which I know you'll probably do in the last minute." Crossing my arms, I tap my fingers my elbow. This is just awkward. This whole saying goodbye business. My twin gives me a knowing look.

"Get that frown off your mug, Noll. You're such a workaholic, party pooper, smartass idiotic scientist." Gene inhales dramatically. "Surely you know the meaning of vacation?" I give him a look. "Just kidding, it's far from a vacation, but it's healthy to have some fresh air once in a while."

He clears his throat. "Fine, Dr. Davis. Do you need anything from Japan?"

"Nothing."

"Manga?"

"Nope."

"Rice cakes?"

"..."

"Bags of healthy bitter green tea that probably tastes like grass?"

I narrow my eyes at him. How could he think green tea tastes like grass?

"What about a pretty girlfriend?" I sigh in exasperation at my embarrassingly annoying brother. Gene shakes his head and tsks at me. "Nope, she'll probably see that you're too much of a narcissist to even date because she'll have to compete with your love for yourself."

"Get on that plane before I throw something at you, you idiot." My mouth twitches in annoyance and amusement.

Gene ignores me. He scans around before lowering his voice and looks me dead in the eye. "Fine. I'll get you the Doraemon doll that you always wanted."

I snort before chuckling and turning away with a smile. "Seriously, Gene? Seriously?" Knowing him, he'll just get me one to spite me.

It will be so boring without him. I wish I can go with him because I'm curious of the place we were born in. However, I still had to finish my degree.

He looks at me triumphantly and laughs. It was probably his whole plan to get a smile from me before he leaves.

Shifting uncomfortably, Gene pats my shoulder to get my attention. "I'll miss you too." I relax, thankful of our "twin telepathy" as he likes to put it. "I'll be back before you know it." I nod. The loudspeaker interrupts us by announcing various flights that are delayed and other useless things.

"Well, so long, Noll. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry about me." He pulls the handle out of his suitcase with a click.

"See you later, Gene."

My brother starts to walk away and wave at me. I wave back just as the scene changes. There is a vast lake at the side of the road. I knew this story too well especially its ending.

Gene wrapped up an exorcism for a client. However, when he was going back to the hotel he was staying at, the car broke down. He also didn't have a working cell phone, considering he is in another country. This left him walking five miles back to town.

The sun warms his face. The road stretches out in front of him. "The father haunted the house for so long, he forgot the feeling of missing his family." The case he finished greatly affected him.

"I wonder how everyone is doing back home?"

"Don't." I say to no one in particular.

"Did Noll finally realize how much he misses me?" He smiles at the thought. I see a red car rounding the corner from behind the mountain. "Gene! Move!" I start yelling. He continues to ignore me. I couldn't even move. "Gene!"

Finally, he stops. When he hears the car, I know it's already too late. He turns around.

"Gene!" Then, there is a horrible screech. My eyes shut. I fall to my knees.

* * *

Mai watches him. Underneath the moon, her skin is slightly transparent. She hates how unfair everything is. The pain on her neck is now in the back of her mind. The cut never bleeds, yet its still there every time she passes by a mirror.

She can now see the faint outlines of people. She recognizes Bou-san's snoring, which resembles a broken lawn mower. He is the one sprawled on the couch. There is one with a pillow covering his ears. That's probably John. Mai smiles warmly at the sight before her.

Strangely through all the noise, Naru sleeps. She never saw him sleep. Unconscious, maybe... but truly asleep? No she hadn't. She wouldn't describe Naru as an innocent child. He appears to be angelic, but that's not what she would say either. When he sleeps, he reveals everything that he is. The mask of indifference is wiped clean from his face. Though he is at peace, he has a slight frown in his features, which Mai wishes that she can smooth away.

It'll only be a few minutes and then she can continue to look for Yasuhara, Gene or maybe her lifeless body... No, she doesn't want to think about it. Mai never saw herself. She can't be dead. It has to be one sick joke. She doesn't feel that much different except the wound on her neck.

Mai wants to think peaceful thoughts even if it's only a little while.

She has this strong desire to brush away the lock of hair that obscures his face. She hesitates with her fingers hovering over him. He emanates some warmth, but other than that her hand didn't get repelled like earlier. "Nothing?" She didn't budge. Though Mai feels hopeful, she is scared to close the distance.

In the back of her mind, she has no right to see him like this or even touch him. When they were in the SPR together, Mai didn't really get to know about Naru, mistaking Gene with who Naru really is in reality. However, she was just ignorant. Mai didn't even know he had a twin so she didn't think any more of it.

She should have begged him to give her a contact number so she can still talk to him when he was in England. Or maybe pry as much trivial information from him as she can. However, after confessing, she was left licking her wounds from the sudden shock of Gene and Naru's ordeal as well as hurt and confusion from how she really felt.

"There were so many things that I could have done..." She whispers. "...So much I didn't know about him." Mai had enough time to think everything through and cursed at how she just let him slip away.

When Naru told her that he is the bad character between him and Gene, she wondered why she didn't argue with him at that time. Yeah, they're identical twins, but it ends there. Though he is extremely prideful and aloof, he still cares immensely in his own way, covering it up with his nonchalance and rationality.

Four years ago, it was hard to see past his shell he built around himself, but there are instances when shows who he is. Even if he didn't even know her then, he was kind enough to let her work for him. And he says that he's not kind at all! Did he know that his rare smiles typically seen on Gene makes his own all the more special? That he made her rethink everything after they argued? Or how protective he could be when something happens to anyone in the SPR since she had her fair share of trouble? Or that he did little things to cheer her up when she was scared?

Naru underestimates himself. If that's not proof that Mai loves him for him, then she doesn't know what is.

Mai sighs. If only everything is simple. Even if she can't physically be there, words would escape her.

She shakes her head. She missed him while he was gone. Mai's hand gets closer and then stops. 'What if my hand passes through?'

His long black lashes flickers slightly in the faint light. His brows furrow. His features twist in pain. Again, she never saw that before. He starts to toss and turn in his sleep. "Gene." She jumps from the sound. Mai only watches, knowing that he might be reliving his brother's death. Agains, she wants to take Naru's pain away somehow and see him in sleep almost undisturbed like a minute ago.

Her fingers hover above his face. Then, they meet his cheek. His face is smooth to the touch. It feels warm against her own cold skin. Mai gasps. Then, she stares at the man in wonder. "Naru?" Her voice was barely heard as she is caught in a daze after a lack of contact with a living person.

His movement stills.

"Mai." A voice growls behind her. Her hand jolts away from him.

Mai squeezes her eyes shut. She can't run away. That's what she did for the past two days.'I can't run anymore. I did enough running.' Mai steels herself and turns towards his presence. Seeing Naru again dwindled her fears.

The man is just playing with her like a cat chasing after a mouse.

The shadow stands near the closed door. "What do you want?" She spits. If she is going to hell, she might as well go all the way. He's the reason why everything happened. He's the start of this family's misery as well as others. He's the one who pushed the woman to do this to her. He also done something to her companion. 'Ryuu Imamura.' Mai thought bitterly.

"You know these people." Her eyes widen, but she composes herself.

"Where is Yasuhara?" Ryuu stares at her in question. He's the person who was with me."

He doesn't respond her question. Since he is a faceless figure, she can't tell what his expression is. 'Does he know?'

"Don't change the subject. Those ghost hunters..." Mai tries to block Naru from his view, but its a feeble attempt. He can sense him as well as the two others in the room. "...they need to get out of this house."

Mai opens her mouth in protest. From behind them, Naru starts to mumble inaudibly. He snaps his fingers and both of them are now outside of the room.

Ryuu watches Mai across from the wall he is leaning on.

"Well?"

He observes the girl, making her feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Mai knows what this man...no...inhuman person is capable of. She got enough of him from her dreams. She even ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach after one of them. Plus, Gene warned her that she must never ever be alone with him even in her dreams. But here she was without Gene and in this state because of her stupidity...

She curses.

His piercing eyes gleam. "They are your friends, obviously."

"Coincidence. I was there by coincidence." She knew she sucked at lying, but she still had to try. Mai never broke her eye contact.

Mai can feel his twisted grin though the man is incapable of giving her an expression. "There's something about the man that you stood in front of. Imagine when I-"

"No, you won't." She interrupts before he gets into detail.

Ryuu snickers at her audacity, but it came out as wheezing. The shadow takes a step forward, causing her to take a step back with wobbly legs. Her instincts are screaming at her to run.

"Since I am very ticked off and a certain person is not here at the moment, you'll have to do." In the blink of an eye, he teleports in front of her. "Why don't we cause a bit of a ruckus?" She sees her frightened expression reflecting from his eyes before he shoves her by the neck against the wall.

She pushes against his chest and arm, but she is immobile. He lightly traces a finger against her shoulder. Mai freezes. "Now." His touch is slowly becoming sharp like a blade. "If you don't want to be in tatters by the time, your friends figure out that you're here, I'll suggest that you cooperate." Ryuu adds more pressure, causing her to wince. "Send them away and make sure that they don't know that I'm here."

"They'll figure it out." As much as Mai wants to chase them out of the house, it is just something that will never happen. Naru never abandons a case within reason. Plus he will find out, it's only a matter of time. She didn't want to say anything more about it and make a bigger mess for herself.

Ryuu growls in irritation and swipes his claws jaggedly across her chest right above her heart. Since her existence is like smoke, the wall behind her is visible from the wound he made. He lets her go. She screams once before curling into a ball, protecting her shoulder which is closing agonizingly slow.

"The wonders of being a soul with no body to protect you." He bends down to her level. "How do you feel?"

'Go to hell.' She replies mentally, feeling like she lost a piece of her. Mai cries out before biting her lip.

"I'm glad we had this civilized conversation." Then, the man bends his head down near her ear. "They probably won't know you're here anyway." He whispers as if sharing a secret. "They seem to have no clue." This fact hurt her more than what he did to her.

He chuckles. The lights shatter and go out, causing darkness to surround them.

* * *

I kneel on the ground with my arm against the mirror. I feel sick. It's just a dream. 'You experienced it before.' My knuckles turn white from my grip. Gene's dead empty eyes stare up at me from the ground after being ran over not once, but twice. His skin has a deathly pallor. His leg is at an awkward angle. The blood is streaked around him. I shiver. 'Come on, you experienced worse. You experienced his death as well as other people's. You saw his actual body from the lake though it required a lot of effort that day to not break down, curl into a ball and puke in the bushes. You can survive this.'

I thought this, but I don't avert my gaze. I still feel the same as before. In actuality, death is something I cannot get over no matter how many times I see it, no matter how much I say that death is a part of life.

"N-noll..."

His body is still yet he keeps moving his lips, struggling to form sentences. "...dead..." Is he saying something? "Find..." The blood dripping down his neck distracted me. "Please... running out of time..." I was able to catch some words. "Find..." Find what? Him? I need to wake up.

A hand caresses my cheek. I look up. Gene disappeared along with the mirror. Instead Mai is beside me. She smiles softly though sadness graces her features. "Naru?"

I don't speak, yet I continue to gaze up at her. My words cannot find their way out of my mouth, yet my own hand touches hers.

"It's just a dream. Gene doesn't want you to think of him this way." Mai says with conviction. Something seems to be bothering her. Tears start to drip down her face. What is it Mai? "You are going to be alright..." She fades away.

Wait.

"Mai."

Then, I wake up. I moan before sitting up from my bed. My heart is making itself known each time it pounded against my chest. I brush back my hair drenched in cold sweat. I can't believe I'm starting to dream about Gene's death again. This didn't even happen since I was looking for his body years ago. It was that same dream that haunted me frequently before. It's the same one that I had keep myself awake for.

What is Gene trying to tell me? Why am I dreaming about him at a time like this?

Then, there was Mai...

I look at the digital clock next to my bed. 4:26 AM. With the snores coming from Takigawa, I don't think I can ever go back to sleep. Somehow, I didn't feel completely drained.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand just as the thought came across my mind. I squint against the bright screen when I read the text from Lin.

_"Your room's temperature went down significantly, but now its back to normal."_

There was a spirit here.

Something bangs against the wall. I immediately shoot out of the bed, not caring that I'm in my navy blue pajamas. Takigawa and John are still asleep so I decided to throw a pillow at the monk. He snorts with a start, swipes the air and then falls from the couch. I would have found this funny, but there is something going on outside. "Wake up!" I hiss loudly. It sounds like a struggle. "What's going on?" John asks as he gets out of bed. I immediately run towards the door with my hand poised on the knob. John and Takigawa follow behind me just as something shatters.

I open the door.

It would have been pitch black if the moon light didn't filter through from behind us. The light fixtures in the hallway lack their light bulbs. Glass littered the floor. It is so cold that I can feel the goosebumps form on my skin. Something is not right. "Wait a second." The glittering pieces rattle on the hard wood.

Suddenly, the glass starts to float and the sharp edges are all aligned in a certain direction. "Shit." I utter in realization. Takigawa and John are pushing against me to get to the hall, but I shove the two back into the room. "What the-" Bou-san yells. I quickly slam the door just as I hear the shards whistle through the air and puncture the door. I hope no one else gets out of their rooms to investigate.

As soon as the onslaught of glass stops, the monk opens the door. "...Nau maku san mana bazaran dankan..." He says this as two shapes–one white and one dark– dash away, bouncing and leaping on the walls in opposite directions. There are the sounds of two people yelling and screaming. The air seems to clear.

The door to the girl's room is wide open with a disgruntled Ayako with her hands poised to do nine seals and Masako behind her. Madoka emerges from her own room.

"Though this is away from where the family sleeps, I'll check to see if everyone else is okay." She states as she avoids stepping on the glass. I assess the damage to the door. The glass is stuck on the wood probably an inch deep for some of them. This could have landed us in the hospital.

"That was fast." The monk starts and then he takes in Ayako's appearance. "Maybe your just-out-of-bed look scared them away." She glares at him. I roll my eyes. The question is how did their adrenaline wear off so fast?

"What was that?" I ask Masako, who is staring into the shadows. She didn't speak right away, struggling to put her words together.

"It was too fast for me to get a good look, but I can see a vague image of a girl and a man." Masako pauses and tilts her head in confusion.

"There is something else to it." I state.

"One is more sinister. I can feel fascination as well as hatred from him. However, the other...There is something familiar about the girl." She opens her mouth to say something but decides against it. "She is very out-of-place." Masako spoke so softly that I almost couldn't hear her. I didn't pry.

"As soon as they went away, they almost seem to vanish."

From what I can see, it is bothering her that she can't get a good read on any of the spirits. "Is one of them the ghost from the dining room?" She shakes her head.

"Between the two, they feel completely different so they must be two different people."

"True." Masako raises an eyebrow at me from my answer but didn't comment. The person who warned us doesn't fit the Masako's description as sinister. He seemed fearful and lack aggressiveness towards us in particular when I look through his thoughts. There was someone else he feared for. Plus, there is that woman he is concerned about and the other two spirits we need to look out for. Imamura, from the article, might be related to this case.

There are so many questions that needed to be answered before we can figure out how to remove them from this place.

Thinking about this case is irritating me as well as the lack of sleep I am getting. There is no Earl Grey to calm my nerves and help me contemplate and make sense of everything that is jumbled in my head.

"We'll have to figure out the identities of these ghosts. Right now, you can go back to bed unless you want to stay up, but we'll begin seven o' clock sharp."

* * *

AN: Naru thinks too much. This got really depressing... There are so many things going on behind closed doors...Sorry for the whole wait. Hopefully, this chap wasn't too bad. There were so many things that came up. Plus, I re-read some things in the manga. Again, sorry, I left you guys hanging. To make up for lost time, I'll post up six really soon. Just wondering... is the monk's chant right? Am I going about everything too fast? Let me know. I'll really appreciate it.

Thanks everyone!


	6. All Fun and Games Until

All Fun and Games Until...

With everything that happened, day one ended and day two began.

Luckily, I have survived the night. I used PK more than I usually did in a long while, which is barely anything. I had an unnecessary fear for something that I would come out okay for. I can't believe I forgot. Imagine. Here lies Oliver Davis for doing a magic trick and using a minute amount of his supernatural powers unintentionally throughout a period of twenty four hours. Idiotic, isn't it?

After our night escapade, everyone else decided to go back to bed. Lin also needed to switch out because he would be going without sleep if he continued. Madoka took his place at the monitors while I was left reading over some material since I didn't want to fall back to sleep.

By seven, everyone else is dragging their feet and groaning. The miko, for that matter, is being more verbal about it when I sent them to various areas in the house to take some readings. When Lin woke up at eight, Madoka decided to head to town for more information after I handed her John's notes. At that hour, the glass was cleaned up and the light bulbs were replaced. As a result, the maids gave us dirty looks. Idiotic people. Their blame was misplaced because there is a haunting. How could they forget about this fact?

I left Masako with the task of looking through pictures of various townspeople for anyone vaguely familiar from yesterday. There was one picture of the previous land owner. It had Ryuu walking with his hands deep in his coat, unaware that someone is taking it. He was around his late twenties to early thirties. It was not that great, but his hazel eyes appeared to look gold from the trick of the light. Masako wasn't really sure because she told me that the ghost was purposely hiding his appearance from her.

9:38 AM.

My eyes are practically dry. I probably have more prominent dark circles underneath them.

Too much sugar... I flip through another page and take another sip from the cup anyways. I don't really care at this point. Madoka brought a box of Earl Grey with her, which of course, makes me almost feel like hugging her with an overflowing amount of happiness...Not going to happen. I take another sip.

I went through hell and back because of my emotional dilemma. Such a terrible and wonderful thing... The drama that emotions come with. This is why I am such a troubled person as I plainly put it for Mai when we talked about my dismissing view on death.

Though I had tea, it only helped some, my mind is still whirling around my dream.

First, there is Gene for one. A chill went up my spine at the thought. Seeing his death yet again left a bitter taste in my mouth. Why now? I thought I'm over this. 'No, you're not.' My conscious replies, but I immediately stomp it down. Then, there was Mai. Always Mai...

There is something that I can't put my finger on. Again, it ties back to Mai. I have a bad feeling, hovering around me. I have the urge to see her and demand what is wrong. Her sadness made me uneasy. Maybe if I see her, it will erase these feelings churning in my head. The feeling of foreboding.

"Hey, Noll." I see Lin turned to me from his chair. "You've been on the same page for a while."

How does he even know without turning around? Every. Time. I scowl. "I've been thinking, Lin." I say it as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Why can't I focus on the case? I have been distracted from working this whole time.

He grunts, but he is still watching me. Lin still wants to know.

I settle for talking about the case. That's easier... "Three people." I walk over to the dry erase board that Lin bought recently to compile everything together so everyone has a slight clue what's going on. There were various arrows, scribbles, post-its, articles and the blueprint of the house. "There is a possibility that Imamura-san is one of the ghosts. Then, there is also the recent one, Reina, who is about six. There were no other deaths at the time of the fire since nearly all the workers were sent on vacation. There is another unaccounted for..."

Masako looks up from skimming through photographs on the couch. "She's not that young...The ghost..." She doesn't say anything more. She flips through the paper with a little more force than necessary.

I sigh before adding a question mark next to 'female ghost.' Again, there are other things that I need to know. If we take too long to figure this out, someone might get hurt or worse.

Glaring at the empty cup of tea, I mumble some curses under my breath. It runs out too fast. I'll have to make it myself. I make my way to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Tea." I answer before closing the door.

I round the corner as I hear someone exclaim. "It's not true. Could it?"

Two maids whisper among themselves. "Kaito-sama was arguing with Emiko-sama last time. He is such an inconsiderate man for leaving her and Natsu like this. They might even be divorcing soon." They notice me and then both of them concentrate on their task. I want to tell them to not run their mouth and keep working, but it's not my place to. The clients' personal business is not my business.

I go down the stairs. Then, I make the rest of the way to the kitchen. The room is big with the countertops shining as if it is never used. As much as I want someone else to make my tea, the maids or other members either put too much sugar, put not enough milk or don't let the tea seep enough. Mai is the only one who got it right or maybe it was by coincidence her preference is the way I also like it.

I open the pantry to search for the familiar container. Thankfully, everything is organized since the tea containers are all together. In plain sight, the box isn't here. I frown. Did we use it all up?

I move the boxes around. Chamomile. Oolong. Ceylon... Earl Grey. I look at the container in wonder. It hasn't been used and it had a note taped to the side of it. "M.T.?" I say out loud. It is the only thing written there.

I put a finger underneath my chin as I turn the box over and over in my hand. It is my favorite brand too. Come to think of it... I take out the note and look at it again. It looks like a certain idiotic assistant's handwriting... I read it one more time. Actually, it _is_ her handwriting. It's also her initials. I close the pantry.

Did any of the members have it lying around? They don't like Earl Grey though and most likely they won't provide one for me just because. Did Lin brought it with him from the office? Maybe he forgot to tell me. Confusion and something else I can't put my finger on wells up in me. It's not like Mai dropped by from wherever she is and placed the box in the pantry. Absurd. She doesn't know how to sneak into places anyway.

I want to laugh at how ridiculous my thoughts are becoming. It's probably Lin or Madoka. I shrug it off and look through the cupboards for a tea-pot and kettle.

After I turn the stove on, I pour water into the kettle. Something catches my eye from the window. I place the kettle on the stove and head towards the back door.

A person is sitting on the porch, looking out towards the lake and forest.

Curiosity gets the better of me. Cautiously, I open the door.

The boy turns to me with a glare. Or he tried to... I didn't return it. "Go away."

I give Natsu a good look before sighing. "I can't. I have something to do." I reply.

It weakens and it changes to pitiful look on his face. This kid... I can't believe I'm doing this. Closing the door, I sit next to him on the steps.

"What are you doing?!" He shuffles away in confusion.

"Thinking." I say nonchalantly. "Sit down, don't stop on my account."

He gives me a skeptical expression. He did what I said, but he keeps staring at me like I'm a venomous snake. And this is why this is something that Gene would do... If I at least think about doing this, people think that I'm plotting something. Natsu doesn't tell me to go away though.

"What do you think about the haunting?" I continue to watch the reflection of the sky on the unnaturally flat lake with not a sign of disturbance or ripple.

He doesn't say anything at first. "It's the ghost's fault that Reina died." He tells me bluntly. I didn't have to do it some round about way. I can tell that he knows what I am going to ask him. However, his sentence doesn't really match up with what Megumi told us.

"How? From what your aunt told us, it's an accident."

Natsu bites his lip. "She wasn't there." He debates something in his head once again. "My parents didn't believe me..."

"I may or may not believe you. It might help if I knew what happened that day. It might be related to the case."

Natsu grumbles. Then, he starts again. "That day Reina wanted to go outside and play hide and seek. Kenji also went with us, but Misa didn't. She kept insisting that there are bears in the woods..."

_"Rock, paper, scissors!"_

_Natsu groaned when he saw that the two younger kids beat him. Why did he choose rock? _

_"Ani, looks like you have to find us." Reina stuck her tongue out at him. Natsu snickered. It's really easy to find her because she was wearing a bright red dress, which stuck out like a sore thumb in all the green and browns of the forest._

_"Remember, don't go too far or else I'll never hear the end of it." He warned and gave a look especially at Kenji, who scratched the back of his head innocently. "If you start to see a whole bunch of rocks, you're at the borderline and you're getting too far. Head back, got it?" Kenji again nodded briskly.  
_

_"Yes." Reina chirped._

_The boy turned around towards a tree and covered his eyes. "One..." He heard their feet pounding against the grass. "Two. Three. Four. Five..." Their footsteps faded away. By the time he counted to twenty, no one was there._

_Natsu found Kenji easily, because the boy decided that sitting behind a tree while covering his eyes was a good idea and he's ten years old. "You suck!" Natsu clipped, not amused. _

_Said boy just shrugged with a smile. "And take away her glory?" _

_What Natsu didn't expect was that his sister hid herself really well._

_"Reina!" Kenji called. Ten minutes passed and they didn't find her. Both of them were getting worried._

_They searched behind every place that could hide a six-year-old wearing a bright outfit. "Did she just went too far after I just told you guys to not go too far?"_

The kettle decided that it was time to let out a long whistle. "Wait a second." I say as I quickly head to the stove and turn it off. Then, I hastely head back out. The tea can wait.

Natsu is standing up now. "Do you mind taking me there? You can tell me the rest of the story as we walk."

There is a grim line on his face. He doesn't seem scared, depressed or anything else. His face is expressionless. "Fine, if it will help get rid of this ghost..."

_They searched for five more minutes until large rocks started to dot the area. The ground was slightly inclined. In a distance away the hill became really steep. Natsu knew this though he couldn't see it, because it was the area that the butler warned his uncle when he was walking around the place. If you placed your foot the wrong way, you could slip and roll down the slope. There was a dark, daunting crack in the earth. He doesn't how deep it was. _

_"I can't believe this is happening!" Natsu said frantically. He spotted red running towards the area with the sudden drop. "Reina!" Then, she squatted with her back resting against one of the rocks. Fear etched her face. She didn't hear them yet.  
_

_"Reina!" The boys were running towards her. They were still a distance away. Natsu could tell that there was something wrong. There was a man._

_"Kenji." He grabbed the other boys attention. "Quick! Get our parents. Now!"_

_"Wha-"_

_"Now! Hurry up!" The other boy spun around abruptly and ran to the other direction._

_Natsu was getting closer, but Reina was unaware of the other person next to her. "Get away!" She stood up seeing Natsu approaching her. "Ani! There was someone here!" The man limped as he tried to get closer to her. Bloody bandages covered his face. His clothes were tattered with slash marks covering almost every inch of him._

_"Behind you! Get away! Run!"_

_Scared by the tone of his voice, she started to run. Reina refused to look behind her. However, the person reached out to grab her shoulder, causing her to scream. The man grunted. His mouth moved, causing blood to drip from his mouth which contained teeth that appeared jagged and sharp. He muttered inaudibly._

_Reina wrenches free from his grip after squirming and fighting aginst him, but the sudden force caused her to stumble. The girl screamed as she fell down the slope just as Natsu was close enough to grab her. He grabbed thin air. He's too late. The image of her falling haunted him. The slippery leaves, rocks and dirt left her tumbling down... down... down..._

We stare down from the top of the hill. Natsu stands next to me as still as a statue."Are you okay?" His face got pale. I place a hand on his arm.

The thirteen year old ignores my question. "You know. Okaa-san said, "At least she hit her head on one of the rocks or else she would have suffered on the way down."" He takes a shaky breath.

"When I look back, he was still there. However, he vanished just as soon as I set my eyes on him. However, I still heard him whispering something. It sounded like a name, but I can't remember exactly."

The ghost was the same as Misa described in her dreams. Bandages on his face... Sharp teeth...

"It's my fault." He said suddenly. "Everything is my fault. Not only I aided in killing my sister, but I also made my parents fight because of it." This boy has such a martyr complex. I feel bad for him.

"Afterwards, Okaa-san doesn't really talk to me. Otou-san accused me of being a murderer. He didn't believe me when I said there was a ghost of a man. I was irrespo-"

"Yes, you were, but you didn't kill her. Did you push her down?" I ask, interrupting his thoughts.

"No."

"Did you tell her to run towards this place?"

He hesitates and shakes his head.

"Did you ask the ghost to grab her?"

"No."

I narrow my eyes. "Did you make your parents fight?"

"Well-"

"Don't you dare say yes." I interrupt again before he says another word. "Your parents could have handled it without disagreements. Your father could have not blamed you. This is their own decision and not yours."

Natsu wipes his eyes and whispers. "No."

"Then, it wasn't technically your fault."

"But-"

I think of my words carefully."Yes, she wandered off on her own, but sometimes things are out of your control." I should listen to my own advice. I really suck at this. If only Gene is here...

He is silent and glances down at the rocky drop in thought. "I feel a little bit better."

There is a large rock about half my size to our right. "This is the exact area?"

The boy shakes his head in agreement. I touch the rock with the tips of my fingers. Images flash in my head. Since this happened a month ago, it is somewhat fresh. A girl in the red dress pants in front of the rock from running in fear. Natsu is yelling a distance away. There is the man looming over her. They struggle. Then, she falls.

The boy stands next to the edge. He can't speak. Fearfully, he turns to the ghost. "_Akari."_ His voice sounds like he hadn't had water in days and his bad pronunciation resulted from missing some teeth. I understand why Natsu doesn't even know what he's saying at that moment. The boy was also going into shock. "_Akari_."

"Shibuya-san." I was brought back to the present from the sound of his voice.

"Let's head back."

* * *

She can't feel it.

"I'm fading?" Mai touches the air around her absent shoulder. "No. I'm not." There was nothing solid underneath the tips of her fingers. She can see it closing, but not at a fast enough pace. It is odd, sickening and scary at the same time. It looked like someone took a large eraser and smudged off part of her.

Mai watches the mirror. The girl is having a growing amount of injuries. She feels incomplete. Her heart is telling her that there is something wrong. Something changed.

Because of this she has a sense that she is waiting for something and that something is not a good thing.

"I can't believe I just provoked him. I'm an idiot."

As much as Ryuu wants her to do the dirty work to get rid of the SPR, she won't be selfish and save herself. They need to solve the case and get rid of this adversary. There is the possibility that she may disappear. "That's okay!" She tells herself, though it's completely opposite of how she feels. Mai tries to keep her tears at bay. Her hands are trembling.

She has time though since Ryuu is off hunting for either the spirit responsible for putting 'monster' on the wall or maybe someone else she didn't know about. He won't be telling her his whereabouts and thoughts obviously, considering that he sees her as a menace who needed to be slashed through a few times like a paper doll.

When Bou-san arrived earlier, she heard the familiar chant that she uses. However, her chest felt heavy. It vibrated every particle in her, causing her instincts cry out in fear. Ryuu got the hint immediately and ran off. So, she followed suit.

Mai has to be more cautious when she is near them. They can accidentally do more damage to her and they wouldn't even know it.

She erases the tears that are trying to escape with her thumb. 'I should push them in the right direction.' She thought, raising a fist with determination. 'I need to see Masako and tell her I'm... dead.' She forces herself to think about the word, yet her stubborn mind refuses to accept it. She's in front of the mirror, isn't she? She cannot find her body. There is still a possibility. She is still thinking, feeling, hurting... "I can't lose my life if I'm _dead_." Nope, it's still painful coming out of her mouth.

Mai heads towards the door that she usually saw the members enter and exit out of. It's their base. The door is closed. She wraps her hand around the knob, but it passes through like thin air. Mai swallows again to calm herself down. Then, she places her foot in front of her like there is no door in the first place. She steps into the room.

There is also one important detail that she didn't think about. Masako is there, sitting on the couch searching through some pictures. Her faint image is there and so is Lin...and his shiki drifting through the air like sharks. It didn't take long for them to notice her. One of the white foxes bare its teeth. She covers her mouth with her hand to keep herself from screaming.

Just as Masako notices her presence, Mai quickly retraces a step back out of the room just as she hears it growl and roar. Then, she starts running before they chase her off. 'She didn't even really get a good look at me.'

That approach is out, until Masako is not within reach of those shiki.

"They look more like ghosts than I do." She says as she sees the barely-there image of a butler. Mai wanders through the hallways for someone else. She sees a more clearly defined person. "Bou-san!" Mai exclaims as she matches his pace. She forgets about being wary when she's close to him. Though she was fuming the last time she saw him, she is still glad to see her father/brother-like figure. He ignores her.

"Bou-san. Bou-san. Bou-san?" Her voice lowers down a few volumes, feeling less confident as she continues to call his nickname. Mai puts a hand on her chest, which is hurting in a different way.

Mai keeps following him. She and monk had an argument about her solving cases on her own just weeks ago. Look where it got her. "I'm sorry." She starts. "If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have been so angry. I should have left with a happy memory." She sniffs, trying to hold back her tears again. "I'm crying so much today. I'm becoming such a wreck." Mai laughs humorlessly. "I just don't know what to do. Usually you would help me out..."

Suddenly, the monk abruptly turns right, which is the side where she is standing. It feels like warm water flowing through her as he passed through her. He stops in mid-stride, shuddering from what feels like a cold draft blowing through him.

"Sorry." Mai squeezes out in apology, before rushing off looking for someone else she knows. What she didn't see is Takigawa scanning around him in confusion. 'Ayako, John or maybe Naru? Maybe it will work.' She thought in a panic. 'Please. I need someone to know I exist.'

* * *

"What is this?" There is a large stone lion standing on a large slab of what looked like marble in the middle of the forest. Ivy surrounds its paws. The plants surrounding it is wild and overgrown. I'm guessing this place used to be a garden. We are close to the lake. However, we didn't pass this place going here.

"It was here for a while. It's just its too far away from the house. Also, the trees are blocking it, so my uncle didn't feel the need to maintain it. He told me it was just for decoration." He points to the house behind the trees.

"Thanks." I say out of the blue as we make it back to the mansion. The boy stares at me a peculiarly.

I immediately head towards the direction of the base, leaving him in the kitchen. "I should be saying that. Leaving when you see fit..." He huffs before I am out of earshot.

I pat my pocket only to find it empty. I didn't bring my phone. Hopefully, I didn't miss anything and I really don't want to face Lin if that's the case.

The area is slight cooler than the hall I came from. The foyer meets me with all of its mirrors on the wall opposite me. The owners of this house have a weird fascination with those reflective surfaces.

My footsteps echo as I make my way across the room. I approach the mirror that is in level with my face. I stare back at myself. Can I still contact Gene? Only he could establish that connection first. There is a faint scent in the air. It smells like smoke and burnt hair and something else.

Movement catches my eye from behind my reflection. It was from the hallway that I came from. I didn't move. My skin is crawling in anticipation. Then, something moves again. I spin around to look at it. There is nothing there.

I narrow my eyes.

My eyes go back to my reflection again, only to see someone standing right behind me.

My muscles tense. I keep my gaze at the man's reflection, peeking over my shoulder. I cannot see his eyes since gauze, which is completely soaked through with brown and red stains, is completely wrapped around his head. Despite this, I can still sense him watching me. His cracked leathery lips are covered in dark-looking blood. Goosebumps form on the back of my neck from his breath skimming across my skin.

I stand stock still. He raises a bony hand with blackened and cracked fingernails. Then, the spirit's hand darts for me. Before he could do anything, there is that familiar jolt that jumped from my skin. He howls in pain. The visible sparks causes the man teleport about ten feet behind me in the blink of an eye.

I finally look behind me and direct a glare at him. The spirit is still there. It gets colder and colder. He shouts incoherently in anger, showering spittle and blood from his mouth. His volume rises. The mirrors on the wall rattle dangerously. If worse comes to worse, I'll have to do something about it.

Someone whistles. Then, a white light flies across my line of vision and hits the spirit in the chest. The man yells again before disappearing like smoke. It won't be the last we'll see of him.

The room immediately feels lighter.

"Noll, are you okay?!" Lin yells from the top of the stairs.

"Yes." I calmly go up the steps to meet up with him.

"You didn't use it, did you?"

"No." I clip. I did use a little unintentionally _again_. It is a good mistake that will require some caffeine to get the edge off.

If I don't use PK, I'll probably get hurt or worse. If I do, I'll likely die from heart failure. What great odds... Waiting it out was a much better option at that moment.

"Why did you go off_ without_ a phone? What kind of tea takes nearly an hour to make? Did you know..." I choose to stop listening at this point. It annoys me greatly that he treats me like a child. Despite that fact, I'm glad he appeared when he did.

He didn't know that I actually didn't even get a drop of tea.

We head towards the base and Lin is still actively telling me about whatever he is telling me about. Did the ghost appear to warn me? To tell me something?

The ghosts may get even more malicious soon.

I nod by the time we make to the door and he finishes his one-sided argument. "Lin, I think I need some tea." I smirk.

I didn't wait to see his reaction. It's probably a face palm. "I'll just get a maid to send it up for you."

The rest of the SPR are already gathered. Great. This saves the trouble of telling them individually. I clear my throat. "Tomorrow, we will start exorcising the ghosts." I announce. "For now, we'll keep doing what we're doing."

* * *

'Finally.' She can't believe she found him.

After trying and failing to contact her friends, Mai resumed her search for Yasuhara. Naru wasn't in the house and the rest of them didn't flinch when she attempted to get their attention. With no one knowing that she's even there, frustration keeps piling up on her.

However, Mai forgot one more place to look—the place she died in. If Mai was alive, then she would have puked her guts out.

It would be inhuman of her for this whole thing to not affect her. Feeling disorientated with everything happening, it is slowly wearing her down. One side is telling her that she is just having a really bad dream that she'll eventually wake up out of. It keeps whispering that she is still alive and breathing. The other is telling her that she will never go back because she died. She didn't just lose her life. Mai lost her family, the SPR. She lost Naru before she could even argue with him that she loves him. They didn't even know it yet or ever.

Though Mai is having a battle within herself, she must keep everyone safe before Ryuu realizes that she didn't even try to push them away.

Yasuhara blankly stares at the ceiling from the cot he is laying down on. He didn't have his glasses at all. The man looks worse for wear with his unruly hair and stubble on his face. Apple cores and plastic bottles litter the floor.

"I'm glad that you're still fine, Yasu." She sits cross-legged on the floor with her white dress billowing around her. It doesn't matter if it gets dirty.

He doesn't reply back or shift at all. Yasuhara only blinks. He is deep in thought, since there is really nothing much to do in a cell.

"You can't see or hear me like everyone else. So much of a best friend..." She chuckles. Then it falls flat. "I did get to touch Naru twice though, but I never really talked to him." She wraps her hands around the metal bars. The metal was solid until they pass through like it's not there. "He said that I'll meet Gene someday. Is this what he meant?" Mai decides to play with her hands.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess." A tear drips down from the corner from her eye. She didn't make a move to get rid of it. "Bou-san was right. I can't do cases on my own. I can't do it without everyone else. After all the free passes, I finally get killed." Mai's tears fall more frequently until she starts sobbing. "If you can h-hear me, you'll s-somehow joke about how I can't do depressing thoughts. You might say leave t-that to Naru..."

"Isn't this touching?"

Startled Mai jumps. Her cheeks are still wet. Ryuu is sitting on the ground with his back against the wall. His yellow eyes sneer at her. "Two days and you're already like this?" He shakes his head. "Pathetic."

Her hazel eyes meet his demonic eyes.

"Didn't you promise me you'll do me a favor?" She didn't make any promise. Mai stands up abruptly. "Relax I won't do anything to your friend." He pauses. "He, on the other hand, will forcibly remove his spleen with his own hands." Mai freezes, seeing everything in her mind—her hand grabbing the nearest object to puncture her stomach with then..."He'll probably miss a few times and get other organs along the way, fully aware of everything throughout the process...That is if you don't comply." She screams in terror after he says this. "Your choice."

Mai starts to dry heave at the image he gave her. Her hands shake uncontrollably as she cover her eyes, which are screwed shut.

He notices her shoulder and starts to laugh sinisterly. "Sadly, I can't torture you normally since you're incorporeal. It didn't seem to give you a sufficient enough message."

"Why... why me?" She speaks weakly. The images still haunt her even if she tries to blink them away.

"You know too much." The man stands up. His voice drops lower. "I hate repeating myself. You have until tomorrow. Maybe killing one of them will do the trick."

Mai shakes her head in refusal.

"Fine, get creative." He says indignantly. "Remember what I said." Then, the man smirks with his eyes. "Later, Mai." He disappears. She breathes uneasily. Again, her heart is hurting and telling her that bad things will happen. She just doesn't know what.

* * *

AN: It's a train wreck in the making...There are somethings that I didn't expect to write. I didn't predict that it would be downright emotional. Sorry! Trust me, it'll get better later. I'm not that evil. If you get easily queasy in a certain part, again sorry. I feel proud of myself for the amount I wrote. Yay(Applauds for herself and then realizes she's the only person in the room). Ehh-hem...Again, thanks for reading! Hopefully, I'll update ASAP.


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